Reluctant Prophecy
by Calypso.Bay
Summary: People aren't always who they claim to be. It's like Tolkien said: All that is gold does not glitter not all those that wander are lost. REVIEW!
1. The Shocking Truth

Snow, sleet and all other matter of cold precipitation rained down on the already drenched brunette. Her soft brown locks were now speckled with white and her unique blue eyes searched for some sign of life or safety beyond the winter storm. Wind blew her hair in her face, and she reached her one free hand up to wipe it aside. The other hand was tightly holding on to the leather reins of her pure white stallion, which was also soaking and cold.

The two slipped and stumbled over hidden tree roots and fallen branches from the large forest they were wandering through. Something finally caught the woman's eye: a small flicker of light through the bucket-loads of snow being forced to the ground. She squinted and pulled her horse closer so she could move closer herself. The lady could just barely make out a dark mass, big enough to house people but small enough to keep in warmth. She saw several more lights appear from behind trees, and a sudden strength rose within her. She tugged on the reins of her tired steed and he loped along behind her, faithful as always.

As they neared the inn, the strength left her body, abandoning her to the forces of nature. She collapsed, her loyal horse nosing her lifeless body in the snow. Luckily for the both of them, they were close enough to the dark mass, which happened to be the Hunter's Forest Inn, to be noticed one of its inhabitants. The dark rescuer stepped out of the inn to lift the beautiful young woman and carry her like a child into it. After setting her in front of the fire, he led the stallion to the nearby stables, covering him with a makeshift blanket and making sure he had lots of food.

Upon returning to the inn, he saw the young lady sitting upright in one of the large chairs by the fire, sipping a steaming mug of liquid. She shivered and pulled her cloak around her tighter, looking around at the simple design of the building. When her rescuer approached and touched her shoulder, she jumped, her drink flying in the air and her hand tightly gripping his arm, ready to snap him in half like a twig.

"Easy, there, tiger," he said, and the young woman relaxed, but kept her tight hold. With her other free hand, she caught her drink, which had not a drop spilled out of it. Setting that on the table, she said, "Who are you?" The man smiled wryly, saying, "Let go of my arm and I will tell you. This isn't how you should treat people who rescue you, you know." The woman, after several tense moments of eyeing him warily, released his arm and sat again, keeping one hawk-eye on him at all time.

The man who rescued her sat down easily, sighing as he did so. "That's much better," he said, after ordering another round of drinks. "Now, introductions: I am Aurion Durmaethor, son of… my father. And you are…?" "How do I know I can trust you, Aurion Durmaethor, son of your father?" the woman said, staring into the fire. The man looked at her his brow furrowing. "Why can't you?" he said, "I did rescue you from hypothermia. You owe me, by the way, and you won't have to if you tell me your name."

Silence took over for what seemed like several minutes before the woman said, "I am Aeris Rochendilwen, Daughter of the Unknown and Lady Ranger of the North," she paused here, sighing. "I fear that I am the last of the Rangers of the North. Since the death of Elessar, I have not seen or heard of any others. Of Ithilien, I do not know, but it is a pleasure to meet you, despite the bad news." But from Aurion, she got no response. He sat, his mouth hanging wide open, in a position of shock. "Y-y-you," he stuttered after several minutes of silence, "are th-the… the last Ranger? Doesn't that mean that your father would be…"

Aeris looked at him darkly. "My father would be who?" she said menacingly. Aurion's mouth opened and closed several times before he said, "Uh, Aeris, do you have any siblings?" Aeris eyed him closely. "I have one sister that I know of, why do you ask?" Aurion's eyes opened even wider than was thought possible. "Okay… you have no idea where you're from? Do you know of your race?" he said hesitantly, not wanting to anger the potentially powerful ranger. "No, I don't. I know that I am at least half elf, but I'm not sure. Again, why?" she responded.

Aurion, glancing around at the few people of the inn, leaned in closer to the beautiful young brunette, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Aeris Rochendilwen," he said, "I think that you are the heiress of the Throne of Gondor!" There was a long pause after this, where his brown eyes met her blue ones. Her mouth dropped open, and she stared at him in disbelief. She shook her head, looking at the fire. "But…" she said, thinking deeply, "…how do you know this? How are you sure that I am the heir? Besides, there's already a king, Eldarion, son of Aragorn Elessar. Unless he perishes, he is the rightful king."

The young man narrowed his eyes at Aeris, surveying her deeply. "Yes," he said after a moment, "you are right, but have you never heard the tales? As they go, King Elessar had two unnamed daughters, and for some reason, he tried to keep them a secret. You, and your sister, are the two female heirs of Gondor. Which is older, you or her?" Aeris looked back at Aurion, wondering now if he was right about her parents. "Naowyn is the younger," she said, speaking of her younger sister, "and she is living happily as a housewife in Rohan. I do not want to burden her with such matters, she lives a simple and peaceful life." Aeris rose, stretching, and said, "I think I am going to rest, now, Aurion Durmaethor. I have had a long and tiring journey, and I must continue in the morning." She bowed, and he nodded his head. "Sleep peacefully, m'lady," Aurion said as she walked away.

Author's Note: I'm not a Tolkien, so I don't own Lord of the Rings. Aeris and Aurion are mine, however. Review! I want feedback!


	2. Karma

I own Aeris, Windracer, Aurion, and any characters you know aren't Tolkien's.

As the sun rose the next morning on the peaceful white snow, Aeris Rochendilwen saddled up her pure white steed and prepared to leave the inn. As she carefully trotted over the slick ice, she was held back by one small thing—Aurion, who was leaning on a tree and smirking to himself. She could have easily ignored him and galloped off, but for some reason she halted the stallion and turned her head to smile at him. "Farewell, Aurion Durmaethor. I shall not tell you where I am departing to, in fear that you might follow me," she said jokingly. Aurion laughed, saying, "Following you, madam, is not high on my priority list. But you won't get very far anyway, with such a steed. Perhaps I can offer you a sturdier mount, like one of the workhorses over there." He laughed some more at his own comment.

Aeris smiled smugly. "It is my pleasure, Master Durmaethor, to introduce you to my stallion," she said with a haughty tone, "Windracer, son of Shadowfax the Lord of the Mearas. Windracer is Shadowfax's only colt. And, as Gandalf the White once said about the Lord of the Mearas, Windracer will show you the meaning of haste." Without any obvious movement of his rider, the gleaming white stallion flew like his name into the forest, leaving a snow-covered Aurion on his tree.

Windracer slowed to a canter after a few gleeful strides, and his rider carefully watched the forest. It was easy for someone to hide in the snow banks and surprise the elegant rider. Aeris had done it herself, too many times before. She also had to keep an eye out for authorities: if they knew of her current royal status, Eldarion might send out guards to catch her. Aeris prayed that her supposed brother was kind to his siblings, even if he didn't know he had them.

The stallion was now trudging along the trail in a tired manner, apparently bored with the journey. As he plopped through the snow, Aeris went into deep thought about her past. She almost regretted many of the things she had done, but then thought about how fun it had been. The first time she stole, it was a simple loaf of bread, but she was guilt-ridden for the entire day. Then she thought deep and hard about whom really needed the food, and she no longer felt bad. From then on, being a criminal got easier.

She began to steal anything she wanted, but mostly things she needed, and the first time she stole an animal, it was Windracer, and he was just an abused foal in a rich man's pasture. After that she stole provisions and ran away, only to end up wandering the wild as a Ranger, saving innocent travelers from robbers. It became dull, and more than once, she became a robber herself. But in every town she went into, there was a warrant out for her arrest. She wasn't quite sure why, but then heard that the rich man wanted his horse back—very badly.

So in a sense, Aeris Rochendilwen had been on the run from the law for quite some time. Sometimes the law wanted her badly, other times they were preoccupied with other things, such as large powerful sources of evil. But they were gone now, and all that was left for the rich man to focus on was his prize stallion that he never got to sell. Aeris wasn't even sure if he was the son of Shadowfax, but from his looks, personality, and how much the man wanted him back, she was almost positive that Windracer was the only colt Shadowfax had.

Windracer was now stopped entirely in the path, but he wasn't asleep. His head was in the air and his sensitive nostrils flared, catching the scent of another animal. Aeris studied his ears, watching to see which way they turned. This would give away the position of the being if it were to attack them. Suddenly, clopping hooves could be heard quickly heading towards the white horse and his rider. Descending gracefully from his back, Aeris led her horse into the snow back, which rose up enough to hide behind and out of sight from a predator. Windracer wasn't quite sure why they were sneaking behind masses of snow, but decided it was for a good reason and followed.

Moments later, three horses came cantering along the trail with surprisingly good footing. Aeris scowled as she recognized Aurion leading the way on a jet-black horse. The other riders' faces were hidden, so all the Ranger could see was their steeds, one dapple-gray and one chestnut. They slowed to a trot, obviously searching the area. Aeris and Windracer were entirely hidden behind a massive snow bank, and Aeris guessed that was good. They were probably looking for her.

Seconds after they had trotted by, Aeris felt her fury boil up inside her like a hidden fire, and quickly leaping on to Windracer, she burst through the pile of snow, her sword gleaming in the morning sunlight. The three searchers spun around, their horses shying in fear of the awesome sight before them. Windracer, his silver mane and tail flying, was rearing into the air, striking his front legs at the other steeds. Aeris was releasing a terrifying war cry, waving her sword in the air in a threatening manner.

Aurion was the first to snap back to his senses. Drawing a slim blade, he slowly approached Aeris and Windracer, who was now pawing the dirt eagerly. "Aeris Rochendilwen," he said in a serious tone. "Silence! I do not wish my name to be uttered from the filth of your mouth, traitor. Why are you following me?" Aeris asked before Aurion could say any more. Aurion was afraid, but he summoned his courage and said, "I am sorry that I appeared to be an ally to you, but I am not. I am part of the secret guard of King Eldarion, and it is my duty to find the two heiresses to the throne. His Highness has requested that by any means necessary we find them and have them taken directly to the palace. We are not afraid to arrest you if you will not come willingly."

Her mind spinning, Aeris quickly thought about how to escape this latest trap. She could guess that the reason King Eldarion wanted the only two people that could succeed him was for a bad reason, and she didn't want to be there when he explained it. Aeris made up her mind and masked her plan with a calm expression, saying, "Why does the King of Gondor require me?" Just as she had planned, Aurion turned to a saddle pack behind him to retrieve the written request, and while he was turned, Aeris silently kicked her stallion into a gallop, barging through the startled guards. "Go! Go! Bring her to the King, go!" Aurion roared. Furious from being fooled, he led the charge, and the chase began.

There you go. Aeris isn't perfect. So review, review, review! And stay tuned for more… O.o


	3. A Mind Made Up

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tolkien's stuff. I do own Aurion, Aeris, Windracer, and Pinefoot._

Had Shadowfax, Lord of the Mearas, known where his colt was and had he seen him, he would have been proud. As Windracer ripped around the turns and bends of the trail, the trio of royal steeds hot on his tail, he was nothing but a blur of white, with the exception of a green blur on his back. Aeris was leaned as far forward on her stallion as was possible, letting him gallop entirely on his own. The feeling of flying through a white forest was like flying through the clouds, but then reality hit Aeris when an arrow whizzed past her ear.

Behind the green and white blur, Aurion and his fellow guardsmen raged along the dirt path, kicking and yelling at their horses, who were frothing at the mouth. Smirking to herself, Aeris squeezed Windracer's sides and he leapt forward, spraying his pursuers in powdery snow. The three horses skidded to a halt, Aurion roaring in frustration. After glaring at Aeris as she sped away, he waved his men back towards Gondor, where they would report to King Eldarion.

Windracer slowed to a canter as fresh snow began to fall on the horse and rider. Aeris, though disappointed that her followers gave up so easily, knew she had to find protection, so looked for some makeshift form of shelter from the growing precipitation. She feared she would run into the same problem that she had last night after finding none. The snow quickly turned to sleet, pelting into the Ranger's red cheeks and her steed's soft white coat. Windracer slowed to a walk, flicking his head as sleet was driven into his eyes by a sudden wind. Aeris slid off and once again took her horse's reins, preparing for another night in the cold.

After about ten minutes of brisk walking in the fading sunlight, a thought struck Aeris: wherever she went, there would be talk of her escape, and soldiers of every country would be on the lookout for her. If someone as mighty as the King of Gondor wished for her, then she must be important—or corrupt. Not only would the government of every country be on the lookout for her, but also the villagers would be stalking her, if there were a reward. Aeris smiled, hoping she was important enough to have a large prize.

Windracer sneezed, jarring the Ranger from her thoughts. She looked in the direction that his ears were perked and saw a grove of trees where no snow or sleet had fallen. Sliding down a slight bank, she led her steed to the temporary shelter, which turned out to be surprisingly warm. Shaking snow off of her brown locks, she looked around at the little area. The trees were most pines, tall and protective, except for one large one that Aeris could not identify. Aeris suddenly collapsed on a bed of pine needles, her horse loyally settling next to her even though he was still tacked. Within seconds Aeris was snoring, dreams overtaking her thoughts.

A cracking sound awoke the both of them a few hours later. The white stallion startled and leapt up, his sharp eyes scanning the trees for predators. Nostrils flaring, he caught only the scent of pine needles and the sweet scent of his master. He relaxed, not sensing anything, and affectionately woke his owner. Aeris rolled over in the pine needles, mumbling about sleep deprivation and being tired all of the time, but woke up nonetheless. The first thing she saw was a pink nose right in her face, which immediately snapped her to her senses. She struggled up from the comfortable needles and looked around, trying to find what spooked her horse.

Now Aeris and Windracer were searching the area. Aeris went over to the large out of place tree and looked around it, examining it quietly. She felt the bark to see if it was false—and the tree moved. A deep rumbling sound filled the grove and the tree turned to face her, or at least Aeris thought it was it's face. It had lumps that resembled a large nose and small ears, but no sign of a mouth. Aeris, as she stood in amazement, saw two large, round amber eyes, like perfect coins of honey. The eyes blinked, and that's when Aeris saw a large smiling mouth on the living tree. She realized that the tree was laughing.

"Hmmmmmmmmbrragmmmmmmm," the tree chuckled. To Aeris's furthered astonishment, it asked in a slow, deep voice, "Hmmm, little human, what is your name?" Aeris stared, speechless, and realized that she ad awoken an Ent. "I—uh, I mean, I am Aeris Rochendilwen, Ranger of the North. And you are called…?" Aeris stuttered. "Hmm, if I told you my full name, well, you would die of old age. But you may call me…well, I don't know what you shall call me. Ah yes, I remember now. Men call me Pinefoot. But remind me, what is your name? The short version, please."

Aeris smiled at the living tree. She had always gotten along with creatures of the forest, but she had never met an Ent this friendly, except for the Ent of Isenguard, Treebeard. "You may call me Aeris. How long have you known of my presence here, Pinefoot?" Aeris said. The Ent was quiet for a moment, considering the question, then said, slowly as always, "I just noticed you. After you tickled my bark." Aeris laughed and said, "I am sorry, Master Pinefoot. But I must ask you a serious question."

Pinefoot's eyebrows—or what seemed like eyebrows—furrowed, and he said in a more serious tone, "Yes, hmmmbagmm?" "If you could," Aeris said, finally making up her mind on what to do, "I need you to point me in the direction of Rohan, and perhaps accompany me to the edge of the forest. I need to find my sister."

_Dun-dun-dun! Stay tuned to see what Aeris' sister says... if she finds her in time..._


	4. The Right Desicion? Or the Fatal One?

_Here you go. Sorry if it's short, read and review, hope you like it! --VFD_

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Aeris Rochendilwen had not seen her sister for at least ten years. They were both mature now, and had no idea where the other was or what they were doing, not to mention if they were alive. As Windracer nervously trotted along behind the thundering tree, Aeris thought about what she might find in Rohan. She wasn't sure if she'd come across feasting families—or dead bodies.

"Hmm," Pinefoot rumbled, "I do believe that the horse lords always gallop from that direction." He pointed towards the rising sun, which was a rich orange sphere surrounded by bits of pink morning and navy blue night. "So they come from the east, which means that we are…" Aeris trailed off. She hadn't thought about where she was before, but now it struck her. She must already be in Rohan. When she thought about it, Aeris didn't even know where the inn was. "Pinefoot," Aeris asked, coming out of thought, "where are we right now?"

The Ent's woody brow furrowed. "We are, I believe," he said slowly, "in a small forest on the edge of the big forest, Fangorn. I think." Aeris tried to remember where her sister was. Last she had heard, Naowyn was happily married to a farmer in the plains of Rohan. Lingerol, Aeris thought, Naowyn Lingerol. That was her new last name. The only way she could locate her sister was to wander the plains, which could take days… weeks… months…

"Well, Master Pinefoot," Aeris said at last, "I must thank you for your help. I hope to see you again someday, but now, I must wander the plains alone in search of my family. Thank you again." Pinefoot bent himself over in the middle in what looked like a bow, and he said, "You are welcome, Master Aeris. Good luck with finding your relatives. All of mine are around me." Chuckling, the Ent marched back into the forest, little animals scurrying about in his wake.

Windracer sped off towards the rising sun, his sensitive ears perked for any noise of danger. An hour or two passed, and then finally, Aeris spotted a small village. If she was lucky, this was where her sister was. Upon entering the village, Aeris received funny looks and stares from everyone, women, children, and even the elderly. She entered a local tavern and asked the barkeep if he knows of Naowyn Lingerol. "Nup," he said as he polished a glass, "no Lingerol's round 'ere. North of 'ere, actually, that's where they is."

Aeris traveled north. By nightfall, she reached another village. This one seemed much friendlier. People smiled and waved at the wonder on horseback, and Aeris stopped to let several small children pat Windracer on his elegant head. "Excuse me," she asked the mother of one child, "do you know of a Naowyn Lingerol? I am her sister." The woman's eyebrows went up as she pointed to a large hut in the center of the village. "Village healer," the woman said as she led her child away.

Dismounting gracefully, Aeris led her stallion to the large house. She tied him to a post outside and he immediately began to devour what grass he could find. Aeris suddenly noted that the snow in this area was gone, and the air wasn't as cold. Windracer paused and looked at her as if to say, _Are you going in or not? I am content where I am. _Aeris shrugged and knocked on the door.

A tired looking woman answered, her red hair falling out of a bun on her head. "Closed for the night," she muttered as she began to shut the door again. "Wait!" Aeris said, stopping the door with her hand. "Naowyn?" she asked. The red-haired woman opened the door wider and said, "Aeris?"

Naowyn Lingerol welcomed her long-lost sister into her home and sat her down in a large chair after many hugs and a few tears. "Oh my goodness, look at you!" Naowyn said, bustling about to get a cup of tea. "Still so pretty, Aeris. How are you, big sister?" Aeris smiled, glad that her younger sibling was living happily. "I am weighed down, Naowyn, by many things," Aeris said sadly. Naowyn looked at her sister, concerned. She had never seen her this down before. "Well, are you going to tell me?" she inquired as she sat across from her elder sibling.

Aeris contemplated what to say. Her sister seemed to be very important to this village, but she was an important part in Aeris' life, too. Eldarion would come looking for her eventually, but until then…Aeris smiled. "No. I was going to, but you are too happy. These people need you here; you're their healer. I would just like to stay for the night. Then I shall leave." Naowyn frowned. "Aeris," she said seriously, "do not burden me with your secrets. If something is wrong, I want to know." "But you do not understand, little sister!" Aeris cried, standing. "This is worse! If you feel burdened by just knowing that something is wrong, imagine how I feel carrying it all the way here to deliver it to you!"

Seeing the expression on her younger sister's face, Aeris put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry," she said, her face grim, "but I cannot interrupt your life for my own concerns." She smiled, her stomach growling. "Well," Naowyn sighed, rising, "if you won't let me help you with this, let me help your stomach."

Once the young ranger was settled into bed after a long meal, she went over what had happened. She felt very foolish for traveling such a long way just to not tell her sister what was going on. Then something struck her thoughts: What if Aurion or Eldarion came looking for Naowyn? Would they find her? Of course they would, they're the king's government. But then Aeris realized that she had done the right thing by not telling her sister: if she didn't tell her anything, she couldn't say anything to anyone else. As she drifted off to sleep, her mind cleared, along with her conscience, and she was at peace once again.


End file.
